Typical Gilded Age politician who stirred up war with Spain to make America an empire. The quote you have of me sums it up quite nicely.
You think McKinley wanted that war? Ha! TR was one of the earliest guys to call for war! He was preparing for it since day one in the Navy Department! As for Gilded Age, who was the guy supporting arch-conservative Thomas Brackett Reed for the nomination in 1896? Theodore Roosevelt. As for Robert La Follette and other like-minded Progressives? They supported the people's candidate, Mr. William McKinley who had gone without fee to defend miners in court, who supported tariffs not for business' sake, but for labor's, and who found himself a supporter of the Grange movement. I should be the one defending TR and you the one defending McKinley.
Oh, I know Teddy wanted war, but he bought into the lie that Spain bombed the Maine. I like him, but not for his foreign policy. My line about McKinley "stirring up" war was hyperbolic.
My ideal president for the time period would have been Bryan, of course.
In McKinley's defense, a lot of people bought into it. He was brought unbearable pressure to declare war on Spain.
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